This invention relates to methods of repelling animals and birds, especially canines. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of volatile compounds exhibiting a mint-like odor, such as pulegone and piperitone, to repel animals and birds.
It is often advantageous to discourage animals from frequenting certain areas. Any homeowner who has ever had to pick up garbage strewn from a trash receptacle or bag by a neighborhood dog will attest to the desirability of discouraging the animal from such activity. It may also be desirable to keep animals away from certain areas such as ornamental or agricultural plantings, to which they can cause damage, or from areas in which the animals could themselves be injured. In addition, many domestic pets are injured or killed each year by accidental ingestion of harmful substances, such as the antifreeze which can leak from automobiles, and a way to prevent such accidents would be of great use.
Numerous chemical agents have been used over the years to discourage animals from approaching those areas from which mankind finds it desirable to exclude them. For obvious reason, such chemical agents should not only be effective for repelling the animals, but, if they are to be used in populated areas, should be acceptable to humans in terms of safety and odor.
The compounds undecanone-2, commonly known as methyl nonyl ketone, and 3-phenylpropenal (common names: cinnamaldehye or beta-phenylacrolein), have been disclosed as animal repellents, and their use together in a synergistic mixture is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,898 (Haase et al.). U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,015 (Haase) discloses that the animal repellent methyl nonyl ketone has the ability of being applied to a comparatively small surface area of a plastic to migrate to a comparatively large area of a plastic surface even to the extent of migrating to the opposite surface of a plastic film. Thus, the compound may be applied to a comparatively small area of the inside surface of a plastic bag, after which the bag is folded upon itself at least once (e.g., when it is placed in a package of a plurality of such bags), and the repellent will migrate over comparatively large areas inside and outside of said bag.
A composition containing as its active ingredient an allyl isothiocyanate (mustard oil) or the alkyl derivatives thereof, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,783 (Downing) as being useful for repelling animals such as raccoons, dogs and the like from garbage while at the same time being non-toxic and non-repellent to humans. Interestingly, this patent states (column 1, line 31) that peppermint oil has not been used effectively for repelling animals.
Animal control compositions comprising lemon oil and alpha-terpinyl methyl ether, taken alone or taken together with quinine or salts thereof, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,803 (Katz et al.).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,902 (De Long) discloses a method for repelling animals and birds consisting of applying to an area being protected a composition consisting essentially of an aqueous solution or dispersion of a carboxylated hydrophilic acrylic copolymer, a crosslinking agent for the carboxylated hydrophilic copolymer, a stabilizingly effective amount of an ultraviolet absorbing agent, and an animal or bird repelling compound.
A composition of matter for repelling animals comprising the mixture of a metallic metal, a quantity of a soil that has been extracted from the earth, a nutrient source and water is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,038 (Baugh).
A method for repelling animals from areas to be protected by use of a composition comprising a .delta.-n-alkyl-.delta.-butyrolactone and/or a .delta.-n-alkyl-.delta.-valerolactone is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,997 (Meuly).
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,534,976, 4,657,759 and 4,668,455 (Hansen et al.) disclose that particular steroids may be used as key ingredients in animal repellent compositions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,532 (Clayton) discloses that olfactory animal repellents can be effectively transported over surfaces by means of a vehicle comprising a liquid di(alkyl)adipate, i.e., esters of adipic acid, alone or in combination with a sodium di-C.sub.4 -C.sub.13 alkylsulfosuccinate. The animal repellents disclosed for use with such vehicles include cinnamic aldehylde, methyl nonyl ketone, essence of red pepper and quinine.